Garment for medical use



Jan. 18, 1966 NEVlTT 3,229,305

GARMENT FOR MEDICAL USE Filed July 25, 1965 INVENTOR. KEM R. NEVITTBY/WJM" ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,229,305 GARMENT FOR MEDICALUSE Kern R. Nevitt, R0. Box 365, Fredonia, Kans. Filed July 25, 1963,Ser. No. 297,598 11 Claims. (Cl. 2-114) This invention relates to newand useful improvements in the structure of two-piece garments suitablefor use in the performance of surgical, obstetrical and like procedures,and to such garments that are sterilizable and yet impervious toliquids.

In the practice of medicine and especially in the practice of veterinarymedicine, it is highly desirable during the performance of surgical andlike procedures (by which is meant conducting examinations, givingtreatments, performing obstetrical deliveries, etc.) that liquidimpervious protection be afforded the doctor by a garrnent that does notimpede his freedom of movement. It is also highly desirable that suchgarment should be readily susceptible to rapid, efficient and effectivesterilization procedures (such as in a steam sterilizing autoclave),whereby the spread of infections and disease can be minimized.

It is also highly desirable that a garment such as described above besuch as to afford a large degree of size adaptability to compensate forvariations in the size of the persons who may have reason to wear aparticular garment, or to compensate for the amount of outer clothingthat the person may have need to Wear under the garment, it being notedthat use of the garment may be called for under environmental conditionsthat can range from very cold to very hot.

Furthermore, it is also highly desirable that a garment such asdescribed above afford an adequate degree of ventilation for the personwearing the same considering the desideratum of the garment providingliquid impervious protection.

A primary object of the instant invention is to provide a garment orsuit that will afford liquid impervious protection to at least theforward portions of the body and legs of the person wearing the same,and that such garment be such as to withstand repeated subjections tosterilization in a steam autoclave without substantial deleteriouseffects.

Another important object of the invention in accordance with thepreceding object is to provide a garment or suit having substantial sizeadaptability and affording a substantial degree of ventilation for thewearer, yet protects the wearer in surgical and obstetrical work andpractices.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a garmentthat does not substantially interfere with the freedom of movement ofthe wearer, and which will provide a substantial degree of protectionfor the wearer from injuries such as might, for example, be inflicted inthe practice of veterinary medicine by fang or claw. Also, a closelyrelated object is to provide a protective garment which is itselfresistant to stain from (and which protects or shelters a wearer and thewearers other clothing from) body fluids or excrements that therebystain and/or which are odorous or otherwise objectionable (placentalafter-birth, blood, urine, feces, etc.).

Yet another object of substantial importance is to provide a garment inaccordance with the foregoing objects which will be of simpleconstruction, durable in use, and low in cost.

An important feature of the instant invention is that the garment ismade primarily of a woven fabric that is coated with synthetic substancethat renders the same substantially impervious to liquids, such coatedfabric being sterilizable and otherwise easily cleaned.

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Another feature of importance is the construction of the garment beingtwo-piece, with each piece being open to the rear to afford ventilationand size adjustability.

Another feature of the garment is that no obstruction to urinary reliefof a male wearer is offered by the garment.

Still another feature is the simplicity of the parts and the smallnumber and simplicity of assembly operations and corresponding low costof the garments.

These and other objects and features of the invention will subsequentlybecome apparent.

Broadly, the invention involves in a garment the improvement comprisinga waistband adapted to extend about the Waist of a wearer, a pair ofgenerally rectangular leg panels secured at upper edges thereof to anddepending from adjacent portions of the extent of the waistband, each ofsaid leg panels being adapted to Wrap about the front and outer side ofa leg of a wearer with each leg panel having a remote vertical edgeadapted to extend vertically adjacent the rear of a leg of a wearer whensuch leg panel is so wrapped, each of said leg panels being providedwith a horizontal, generally rectangular extension along the marginthereof opposite the remote vertical edge below a position spaced belowthe waistband to constitute an inner leg panel, with said inner legpanel being adapted to wrap around the inner portion of a leg below thecrotch of a wearer and having a free vertical edge adapted to extendvertically adjacent the rear of a leg of a wearer when such inner legpanel is so wrapped, and means to be disposed at the rear of a leg of awearer and carried by the leg panel and the inner leg panel adjacent therespective remote and free vertical edges thereof for detachablyconnecting such edges.

Another aspect of the invention comprises a twopiece garment wherein thefirst piece corresponds to the structure defined in the precedingparagraph and the second piece is a shirt-like garment having a singlecontinuous panel front having a length such as to extend below the topof the inner leg panels, said shirt-like garment including a neckopening and aback panel, said back panel being centrally divided fromthe back of the neck opening to the bottom of the back panel to defineparallel vertical edges centrally located with respect to the back of awearer, and said back panel being provided with means adjacent thevertical edges thereof with means for releasably connecting such edges.

A final important aspect of the invention resides in the garment beingmade of a flat sheet comprising a woven fabric coated with a syntheticsubstance such that the sheet is impervious to liquids, very resistantto puncture of tearing, light in weight and flexible throughout a widerange of temperature of garment use, and resistant with out substantialdeleterious effects to repeated sterilization procedures wherein eachprocedure involves the sheet being subjected to steam at a pressure ofabout fifteen pounds per square inch and a temperature of about 275 F.for about fifteen minutes; said fabric being woven of synthetic fibersselected from the group consisting of nylon, polyester, and mixturesthereof, and said synthetic coating substance being selected from thegroup consisting of silicone rubber, neoprene, chlorosulfonatedpolyethylene, and

inafter is described in detail in relation to a preferred embodimentthereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the upper, shirt-like portion of thegarment, the same being flattened out with the back side uppermost andwith the string ties secured;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the lower portion of the garment showingthe same opened out and flattened out (except for a short portion of thecentral extent of the waistband) with the outer side of the garmentbeing uppermost; and,

FIGURE 3 is a rear quarter elevational view of the garment shown as wornby a person indicated in dashed outline.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate similarparts throughout the various views, the numerals and 12 designategenerally the upper or shirt-like portion of the two-piece garment andthe lower portion of the two-piece garment, respectively.

The upper portion 10 of the garment comprises a back panel 14 connectedby side stitched seams 16 and 18 to a front panel 20. A neck opening 22is defined at the upper central juncture of the panels 14 and 20 that isreinforced about its periphery by stitching 24. On the opposite sides ofthe opening 22, the upper edges of the panels 14 and 22 are joined alongthe shoulder lines by stitched seams 26 and 28.

The back and front panels 14 and 20 are secured to short left and rightsleeves 30 and 32 by stitched seams 34 and 36, respectively, as shown.The outer ends of sleeves 30 and 32 are provided with draw strings shownin dashed outline at 38 and 40, respectively, which can be drawn up andthe free ends tied into bow knots 42 and 44 to fit sealingly and snuglyabout the mid-portion of the upper arms of the wearer indicatedgenerally at 46.

The back panel 14 is split or centrally divided vertically along theline 48 from the neck opening 22 to the lower edge of the back panel 14to define back panel margins 50 and 52 bordering the line 48. Sets oftie strings 54 and 56 are secured by stitching, not shown, to themargins 50 and 52 and secured by bow knots to secure the margins 50 and52 to each other at vertically spaced positions in an arrangement thatthe margins 50 and 52 can be spaced apart to accommodate larger persons,persons wearing a substantial amount of clothing underneath the garmentportion 10, or to permit a large degree of ventilation. The neck opening22 can be provided at the rear thereof with metal clasp hooks (notshown), or with a set of tie strings. If desired the neck opening can beprovided with an upstanding collar, also not shown. Such obviousmodifications and many others are deemed Well within the ordinary skillof the art.

The garment portion 10 must have a length such that complete frontal andside protection is given the wearer. As shown in FIGURE 3, the length issuch as to extend at least as low as the crotch and preferably a littlebelow the crotch of the wearer. It will be seen presently how suchlength cooperates with the garment portion 12 to afford the desiredprotection.

' Inasmuch as the flat sheet material used in the panels 14 and 20, andthe sleeves 30 and 32 are the same as employed in the garment portion12, the nature of such sheet materials will be subsequently described.Similar considerations apply also to the character of the tie stringsand the stitching threads, it being necessary at this point only to notethat the draw strings 40 and 42 can be of the same character as the tiestrings 54 and 56.

It will be apparent that connecting devices other than the illustratedtie strings 54 and 56 can be utilized that are largely equivalentthereto; however, tie strings are preferred because of the adjustabilityaiTorded thereby, their simplicity, low cost, reliability and ease ofuse. Also tie strings are not subject to corrosion nor do they presentproblems of strong metal to fabric connection as presented by manymetallic fastening devices. Furthermore, tie

strings if damaged can be repaired or replaced by ordinary skills andwithout special materials, parts or tools.

Passing now to a consideration of the lower garment 12, the same will beseen to be comprised of an open waistband 60 having opposite ends towhich tie strings 62 and 64 are stitched at 66 and 68.

A pair of leg and waistband portions designated generally at 70 and 72are provided. Prior to assembly the leg and waistband portions 70 and 72are identical and a detailed description of one will suflice for both.The leg and waistband portion 72 is of a single and integral sheet offlexible material and comprises a leg panel 74, an inner leg panel 76,and a waistband portion 78. The leg and inner leg panels 74 and 76 arejointly of generally rectangular configuration, with the waistbandportion 78 constituting the upper end portion of the leg panel 74 andprojecting laterally as a narrow strip in the same direction from theleg panel 74 than does the inner leg panel 76. The juncture of the legpanel 74 and the inner leg panel 76 may for purposes of definition beconsidered as an imaginary line drawn parallel to the opposite or remotevertical edges 80 and 82 of the panels 74 and 76 that passes through thejuncture of the leg panel 74 with the projection strip portion 84 of thewaistband portion 78.

The upper end of the inner leg panel 76 is cut away or deleted along anarcuate curve 86 such that the juncture of the curve 86 and the edge 82is spaced considerably below the projecting waistband portion 84. Aswill be seen, such curve 86 is to allow the inner leg panel 76 to passbeneath the crotch of the wearer and to leave the trouser fly of thewearer exposed.

In the preferred construction, the waistband portion 78 (including theprojecting portion 84 thereof) is of the same overall extent as thejoint lateral extent of the panels 74 and 76, in which case the entirepanels 74 and 76 and the waistband portion 78 (including the projectingportion 84 thereof) can be cut from a single exactly rectangular pieceof sheet material by cutting out a pie-shaped section having two edges-afirst corresponding to the curve 86 and a straight second edge 88 intersecting therewith at 90 that is parallel to the upper edge of thewaistband portion 78. It is to be noted that the lateral spacing of theintersection 90 is closer to the edge 80 than to the edge 82.

A tie string 92 is fixed at 93 to the edge 82 (at the juncture of thecurve 86 therewith), and a further tie string 94 is secured by stitching96 to the edge 82 spaced below the tie string 92. A tie string 98 isstitched at 100 to the edge 80 at a position on the same horizontal lineas the tie string 92, and a second tie string 102 is stitched to theedge 80 at 104, the tie strings 98 and 102 having a greater verticalspacing than the tie strings 92 and 94.

On assembly, the leg portion 70 is inverted relative to the leg portion72, and positioned under the latter so that waistband portion 78 of thelatter is superimposed and directly overlies such corresponding part(concealed) of the leg portion 70. The rectangular peripheries of thesuperimposed waistband portions of the leg portions 70 and 72 are thenstitched together at 66 and 68 (tie strings or strips 62 and 64 beingdisposed therebetween) and along the lines 106 and 108. If desired, asheet of stiffening fabric can be interposed between the waistbandportions of the leg portions 70 and 72 and stitched therewith. Suchstiffening fabric can be of heavy cotton or a synthetic fiber asdisclosed above in a weight and stiffness comparable to that ofconventional buckram.

The leg portion 70 has parts 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122 and 124corresponding to parts 80, 82, 86, 90, 92, 94, 98and 102 of thepreviously described leg portion 72. The lower edge of the waistband 60intermediate the positions 90 and 116 is reinforced by a strip of seamof fabric binding 126 folded over the same and stitched thereto, asshown at 128. The curved edge 86 of the inner leg panel 76 and thecorresponding curved edge 114 of the leg portion 70 are similarlyreinforced by binding strips 130 and 132 stitched thereto.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the manner of wearing the garment pieces and 12, asshown, the sets of tie strings 54 and 56 secure the shirt-like garmenton the wearer. As to the garment portion 12, the tie strings 62 and 64secured the waistband 60 about the waist of a wearer with a bow knot 134at the center of the back of the wearer. The tie string 92 is knotted tothe tie string 98 at 136 with the inner leg panel 76 passing below thecrotch of the wearer. The tie strings 94 and 102 are, like strings 92and 98, knotted at the rear of the leg of the wearer, as shown at 138.Leg portion 70 is similarly connected. As will be apparent, the loweredge of the garment 10 extends below the level at which the top of theinner leg panels wrap about the legs of the wearer so that the legportions 70 and 72 together with the front panel of the garment 10afford complete protection to the front portions of the person of thewearer.

Obviously the construction of the garment 12, like garment 10, afiordsadjustability for size and ventilation for the wearer, it being notedthat the entire rear of the garment 12 is also open. It will be seenthat the twopiece garment 10 and 12 does not constitute any obstacle fora male wearer seeking urinary relief that involves release of anyfastening device whatever.

The character of the flat sheet materials used in the two-piece garment10 and 12 is considered important. The back panel 10, the front panel20, and the sleeves and 32 of the garment piece 10, and the leg portions70 and 72 of the garment piece 12 are all made of a fiat sheet materialcomprised of a coated woven fabric. The fibers of the woven fabric areselected from a group consisting of nylon, polyester, and mixturesthereof, with nylon being especially preferred. The woven fabric iscoated so as to be impervious to liquids with a synthetic substanceselected from the group consisting of silicone rubber, neoprene,chlorosulfonated polyethylene, and mixtures thereof, with siliconerubber being especially preferred.

Coated fabrics of the character specified above are resistant topuncture and tearing, are light and remain flexible throughout the rangeof temperature of use, and can stand up without substantial deleteriouseffect from repeated sterilizing procedures, wherein each pro cedure cancomprise subjecting the garment to steam under a pressure of aboutfifteen pounds per square inch at a temperature of about 275 F. forabout fifteen minutes. Also, the garment can be easily rinsed orscrubbed in clear or soapy water. An incidental advantage is that thecoated fabric is somewhat resistant to staining, and can withstandtreatments for removing status.

A coated fabric sheet material found to be well suited for the purposeis marketed by The Connecticut Hard Rubber Company, 407 E. St, New Haven9, Connecticut, under the manufacturers designation FGAAO, andspecification BMS l-l7A Type 11, Grade B. This material has a threadcount of x 42 and a thickness of 0.006". Thread counts of somewhat lessthan this to about 5 8 x 42 are especially preferred and a thickness ofsomewhat less than this to about 0.009" is especially preferred. Thissame manufacturer makes a nylon resin coated nylon fabric that can beused. The silicone rubber coated nylon fabric designated by suchmanufacturer as SGAOl is also useful.

Vinyl plastics are useful also provided the sterilization temperaturesare not excessive. In general, selection of the fabric and the coatingshould be in keeping with the temperatures used during sterilization. Ifcold sterilization processes are to be used, choice or selection shouldbe made on basis of resistance to the sterilizing chemicals to be used.It is preferred that the garment be suitable for steam sterilizationbecause such mode of sterilization is deemed much superior.

As hereinbefore used, the term polyester has reference to syntheticpolyester fibers such as marketed by E. I. du Pont de Nemours ofWilmington, Delaware, under the trademark Dacron; and chlorosulfonatedpolyethylene makes reference to a synthetic coating material marketed bythe same company under the trademark Hypalon.

The drawstrings 38 and 40, the tie strings 54, 56, 62, 64, 92, 98, 102,118, 120, 122, and 124, and the re inforcing strips are fabric(preferably not coated), and can be cotton or woven of fibers of thecharacter indicated as suitable for the sheet material. Thread used forstitching can be cotton or made of such fibers as indicated suitable forthe sheet material.

Inasmuch as the invention is obviously susceptible to numerousvariations and modifications of the illustrated and described preferredembodiment, the latter having been described in extensive detail only toconvey a full and complete understanding of the basic principles of theinvention; attention is directed to the appended claims in order toascertain the actual scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a garment, the improvement comprising first and secondsubstantially identical pieces, each of said pieces comprising agenerally rectangular fiat sheet of flexible material having first andsecond opposite side edges and an end edge connecting said side edges,said piece hav ing a generally triangular-shaped opening at the firstside edge thereof defined intermediate first and second linesconvergently extending from the first side edge toward the second sideedge and intersecting at a position intermediate and spaced from saidside edges, said first line being spaced from and generally parallel tothe end edge, said first line being disposed between the second line andthe end edge, said pieces being superposed in at least substantialoverlapping relation from side to side with the second piece beinginverted with respect to the first piece in an arrangement such that theend edges of the pieces are parallel and superposed for at least a majorportion of their lineal extents, and said pieces being secured to eachother solely adjacent and along the overlapping lineal extent of theirend edges.

2. The combination of claim 1, including a discontinuous waistbandhaving a pair of free ends and which waistband is in part comprised ofsaid superposed and secured lineal extents of the pieces, and meanscarried by the waistband adjacent the free ends of the latter fordetachably connecting said free ends of the waistband.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein the flexible sheet material ofeach of said pieces is unitary.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said sheet material issubstantially impervious to liquids and is sufliciently resistant totreatment by steam at temperatures as great as about 275 F. to withstandautoclave steriliza tion without substantial deleterious effects.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein said sheet material comprises awoven fabric together with a synthetic coating selected from the groupconsisting of silicone rubber, neoprene, chlorosulfonated polyethylene,and mixtures thereof.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein said coating is silicone rubber.

7. The combination of claim 5, wherein said coating is neoprene.

8. The combination of claim 4, wherein the sheet material is comprisedof a woven fabric that has a synthetic coating, said fabric being wovenof fibers composed of a substance selected from the group consisting ofnylon, polyethelene terephthalate, and mixtures thereof.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein said fibers are nylon.

10. The combination of claim 8, wherein said fibers are a syntheticpolyethelene terephthalate.

7 '8 11. The combination of claim 4, wherein said sheet 2,679,049 5/1954 Daniels 283 material is comprised of woven fibers of nylon coatedwith 2,766,164 10/ 1956 Salem. silicone rubber. 3,111,680 11/ 1963Horowitz et a1. 2-227 References Cited by the Examiner 5 FOREIGN PATENTSUNITED STATES PATENTS 173,120 12/ 1921 Great Britain. 1 01 07 2 1912Potter 2 51 613,289 11/1948 Great Britain. 1,478,349 12/1923 Oberndorfer251 2,520,026 8/1950 Beitchman X JORDAN FRANKLIN, P1 lmary Examzner.2,525,070 10/ 1950 Greenwald. 10 M. J. COLITZ, Assistant Examiner.2,668,294 2/1954 Gilpin 2114

1. IN A GARMENT, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING FIRST AND SECONDSUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL PIECES, EACH OF SAID PIECES COMPRISING AGENERALLY RECTANGULAR FIRST SHEET OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL HAVING FIRST ANDSECOND OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES AND AN END EDGE CONNECTING SAID SIDE EDGES,SAID PIECE HAVING A GENERALLY TRIANGULAR-SHAPED OPENING AT THE FIRSTLINE EDGE THEREOF DEFINED INTERMEDIATE FIRST AND SECOND LINESCONVERGENTLY EXTENDING FROM THE FIRST SIDE EDGE TOWARD THE SECOND SIDEEDGE AND INTERSECTING AT A POSITION INTERMEDIATE AND SPACED FROM SAIDSIDE EDGES, SAID FIRST LINE BEING SPACED FROM AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TOTHE END EDGE, SAID FIRST LINE BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SECOND LINE ANDTHE END EDGE, SAID PIECES BEING SUPERPOSED IN AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALOVERLAPPING RELATION FROM SIDE TO SIDE WITH THE SECOND PIECE BEINGINVERTED WITH RESPECT TO THE FIRST PIECE IN AN ARRANGEMENT SUCH THAT THEEND EDGES OF THE PIECES ARE PARALLEL AND SUPERPOSED FOR AT LEAST A MAJORPORTION OF THEIR LINEAL EXTENTS AND SAID PIECES BEING SECURED TO EACHOTHER SOLELY ADJACENT AND ALONG THE OVERLAPPING LINEAL EXTENT OF THEIREND EDGES.